Firms were being asked to grant remote access to computer systems and reveal authentication codes
Law firms have been targeted by phone scammers pretending to be the ANZ Fraud team or other ANZ bank staff.
The bank said in a press release last week that some firms were being manipulated into providing remote access to computer systems or devices and digital banking, as well as revealing authentication codes under the belief that they were securing accounts or reversing fraudulent transactions.
These firms received calls that were apparently from ANZ phone numbers or New Zealand/Australia numbers. The scammers reportedly possessed considerable banking information likely obtained through phishing emails, texts, or websites.
Those who took the scammers’ calls were asked to access a link to a dummy live chat that granted the scammers computer and system access; alternatively, they were asked to look up a website and click a specific button to grant that access. The scammers then used the access to set up payments from the law firms’ business and trust accounts.
ANZ urged customers to disregard scammers’ instructions and report incidents to the bank immediately via its public number, found on the bank’s website. It reminded consumers that the ANZ would not request banking passwords, PINs, or security authentication codes; neither would it ask for complete credit card details, request money transfers to “safe” accounts, ask consumers to download software or provide remote access to decides, or send a code with the intent to “reverse” a transaction.
ANZ encouraged banks to spread awareness of this scam and the recent invoice scam to their staff. It also urged firms to watch out for phishing calls, emails, or text messages.
The New Zealand Law Society’s Canterbury Westland Branch announced that it would hold a webinar on Thursday 27 March in partnership with ANZ to discuss frauds, scams and cyber threats impacting the legal profession.
